Ukraine War Update - 13 April 2015

Monday, April 13, 2015  7:18  PDT

Ukrainian military conducted successful counter push against terrorists in Shyrokyne. The militants have requested a cease-fire - Mariupol Defense HQ

   (Censor.NET) --- The enemy committed 11 attacks on the ATO forces’ positions in the vicinity of Mariupol from 7 a.m. April 12 to 7 a.m. April 13.

   Censor.NET informs citing the Defense Headquarters of Mariupol report.

   "10 attacks were conducted on our positions in Shyrokyne village. The following types of weapons were used: small arms, 120 mm mortars (prohibited) - three times; a tank - once, and 82 mm mortars (6.00 p.m. to 8.45 p.m.)," the report reads.

   According to the Headquarters, the most intense shelling was carried out between 6.00 p.m. and 8.45 p.m.

   "Besides, the ATO forces positions near the Pavlopil were fired at from small arms yesterday. The enemy committed five attacks on Ukrainian troops' positions after midnight there. The shelling of the positions in Shyrokyne village from 120 mm mortar was conducted from 1.00 to 6.20 a.m. The ATO forces soldiers were granted permission for retaliation shelling from 82 mm mortars. The return fire was successful and the terrorists have requested a cease-fire from 6.20 a.m. The situation in the sector has been calm since 7.00," the press service said.

   It is also reported that the situation at sea remained completely calm yesterday.

   "Any Ukrainian army soldier did not get injuries as a result of competent and skillful command yesterday, there was no killed either. It should be noted that the militants had agreed to an armistice for the period from April 10 to April 19. There has not been a single day without shelling of Ukrainian positions since then, and yesterday was the hottest day in the last two weeks - the number of attacks on our positions was the highest," the Headquarters added.

Monday, April 13, 2015  6:35  PDT

Ukrainian patrol encountered a terrorist strike unit. One soldier killed, one gravely wounded take prisoner - Butusov

   (Censor.NET) --- Ukrainian soldiers engaged in battle with the vanguard of terrorists in the village of Pisky near the Donetsk airport.

   This was announced by Censor.NET editor-in-chief Yurii Butusov on his Facebook page.

   "Fighting [underway] in Pisky. Near the 18th post in Pisky our watch encountered a strike unit of the enemy, enforcement with armoured equipment, which was preparing a strike on our main positions. Our soldiers engaged in a battle. One soldier was killed. One badly wounded was captured . I saw them there, in Pisky, two weeks ago. The war continues," Butusov wrote.

Monday, April 13, 2015  6:02  PDT

Most likely Russia Mi-8 helicopter violated Ukraine airspace near Stanytsia Luhanska – Border Service

   (Interfax) --- Ukrainian border guards said they spotted a Mi-8 helicopter that violated the country's airspace when flew back east, the authority said in a statement published on its website on April 12.

   "The border guards revealed a Mi-8, probably Russian, which broke Ukraine's airspace near Stanytsia Luhanska in Luhansk region and than went backwards. An inquiry is holding into this case," the service's spokesman said in a report.

   Besides, illegal armed formations continue to use drones to carry an air reconnaissance.

   "In all, the Border Service registered 14 drones on the parts the border guards are responsible for," the authority reported.

   The Mi-8 is a twin-engine medium utility helicopter that was developed by the Soviet Union and still is in production today by Russia.

Monday, April 13, 2015  5:55  PDT

Terrorists used prohibited types of weapons 17 times yesterday - NSDC.

   (Censor.NET) --- The pro-Russian militants did not cease committing military provocations against the Ukrainian troops even during a religious holiday of Easter.

   Such facts were reported at the traditional daily briefing by Presidential Administration of Ukraine spokesperson on ATO issues Colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk, Censor.NET informs.

   "The enemy used the weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements on the Donetsk and Mariupol directions yesterday. In particular, nine attacks of the ATO forces' positions from 120-mm mortars and eight strikes from 122-mm artillery on the positions of the Ukrainian military were recorded. In addition, the militants' tanks stormed the ATO forces' positions four times. The villages near the Donetsk airport, first of all the villages of Pisky, Opytne, Vodiane, Avdiivka, and vicinity of Putylivska mine were the hot zones. The Ukrainian troop's positions near Novotoshkivske and Triokhizbenka villages in the Luhansk region came under enemy fire as well. A clash took place near Avdiivka. The Ukrainian soldiers gave a fitting rebuff to the invaders," he said.

   "The fighting near the village of Shyrokyne not far from Mariupol also resumed after a short inactivity. The militants attacked the National Guard of Ukraine soldiers' checkpoint eight times using mortars, grenade launchers, small arms and a tank. There are international observers from the OSCE's special monitoring mission near Shyrokyne as well. According to the mission's report the observers have confirmed that the illegal armed groups fired at least 49 rounds and used 122-mm artillery at positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In addition to blatant violation of the armistice, the militants also denied the access to Shyrokyne to observers," Motuzianyk added.

   The enemy also keeps conducting active aerial reconnaissance. The Ukrainian military have recorded 21 UAV's flights along the demarcation line during the day.

   "Against the backdrop of militants' provocative actions, the next uninvited pseudo-humanitarian convoy from the Russian Federation is going to intrude in Ukraine. According to the Russian side, the twenty-fourth so-called "humanitarian aid convoy" is already being prepared. It should be noted that the activity of the militants always grows upon arrival of the Russian convoys," the ATO headquarters noted.

Monday, April 13, 2015  5:06  PDT

General Staff: Militants did not use white phosphorus near Donetsk

(UNIAN) --- Reports of the use of white phosphorus munitions by Russian-backed militants near Donetsk airport are false, Acting Speaker of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Mazepa said on Monday.

   He said the Krym (Crimea) Battalion, which earlier circulated reports of the use of such weapons, was not in the region of Donetsk airport.

   "White phosphorus [attacks] on our positions were not seen, and only conventional weapons were used,” Mazepa said.

   “As for the information that was spread by the Krym Battalion: At the moment in the region of Donetsk airport there are only army units, and the Krym battalion is not there – this is another fake, which aims to change the picture on the front lines."

Monday, April 13, 2015  4:23  PDT

One Ukrainian soldier killed, six wounded yesterday - NSDC

   (Censor.NET) --- One Ukrainian soldier was killed and six more were injured in the ATO area yesterday, April 12.

   Ukraine's Presidential Administration spokesperson on ATO issues Colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk announced today at the briefing, Censor.NET informs citing Ukrainski Novyny.

   "One Ukrainian soldier was killed and six were wounded during battles," Motuzianyk said.

Monday, April 13, 2015  3:50  PDT

Reporter killed near Donetsk airport – media

   (Interfax) --- A journalist was killed in a car shelling attack on the Donetsk airport on Sunday, Hromadske TV said.

   As a senior chief of the Ukrainian team of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) in Donetsk Colonel Andriy Lischynsky said, under various sources two local journalists were inside the car.

   "Under preliminary report, an antitank missile hit the car. One journalist killed. Another correspondent jumped out of the car and managed to survive," he said.

Sunday, April 12, 2015  22:41 PDT

List of Russian army units concentrating by the state border and transferring to Donbas

   According to the operational data of the Information Resistance group, divisions of the Russian Armed Forces continue redeploying in the borderland areas [of Russia], in direct proximity to the state border with Ukraine; as well as transferring to the territory of Donbas.

   Namely, at the Dolotinka base camp (Millerovskiy district, Rostov oblast, Russia), we have been able to identify units of the 28th anti-aircraft missile brigade (place of their permanent deployment is Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia).

   In the vicinity of the Kuzminskiy firing field (Rostov oblast, Russia) units of the 35th separate motorized rifle brigade (Aleysk) have been identified. According to the IR group data, their transfer to Ukraine is scheduled for April 20, 2015.

   In addition, the following units have been identified in the borderland areas of Rostov Oblast (Russia):

– 16th separate specialized brigade of the GRU [Main Intelligence Directorate] of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces – in the vicinity of the Dolotinka camp;
– 74th separate specialized radio engineering regiment (Vladikavkaz). Security for this unit is provided by the 100th separate reconnaissance brigade (Mozdok);
– units of the 100th separate reconnaissance brigade have been identified in the Tarasovskiy district of Rostov Oblast;
– 200th separate motorized rifle brigade (Pechenga) – in the vicinity of Millerovo (according to IR group data, troop rotation is planned in the near future);
– 79th reactive artillery brigade (Tver).

   The main concentration of Russian troops in Rostov Oblast is observed near the settlement of Millerovo, where several field camps are operating. This is the deployment site for battalion tactical groups from military units of the Western and Central Military Districts of Russia, as well as for “land” units from the Northern and Baltic fleets. Battalion tactical groups from the Southern Military District are mainly based near the Kadamovskiy firing field (Rostov Oblast), which is also the place of deployment for Spetsnaz units of the GRU [Main Intelligence Directorate] and MIA [Ministry of Internal Affairs].

   Additionally, a reinforced battalion tactical group of the 247th regiment of the Russian Airborne Troops was deployed near the Ukrainian border.

   According to IR group data, additional units of the 56th separate combat brigade (Kamyshin; some of the brigade’s units are currently operating in the Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine) and units of the 200th artillery brigade (Gorniy) are planned for deployment in Rostov Oblast before the end of April.

Units of the 6th separate tank brigade have been identified near the Kuzminskiy firing field (some of this brigade’s units are operating in the Donest Oblast of Ukraine). Plus, units of the 138th separate motorized rifle brigade (Kamenka; some units in the Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine) have been identified in Rostov Oblast.

   On the territory of Ukraine, units of the 74th separate motorized rifle brigade (Yurga) were identified near Starobesheve, and units of the 8th separate motorized rifle brigade (Borzoy, Chechnya), in Makiivka. Individual units of the latter brigade are currently undergoing training at the Sernovodskoye firing field (Stavropol Krai, Russia), to be deployed to Rostov Oblast afterwards.

   Additionally, in cooperation with Irakli Komaxidze, we were able to identify:

– deployment of a battalion tactical group of the 19th motorized rifle brigade (military unit N20634, 58th army, Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia) to the Kuibyshev district (Rostov Oblast, Russia). Earlier, this BTG was deployed near the Kadamovskiy firing field, where several more BTG from the military units of the Russian South Military District are based.

– redeployment of units of the 23rd separate motorized rifle brigade (Samara) to the vicinity of Rostov-on-Don. Previously, these units were spotted in Belgorod Oblast of Russia, on the Kharkiv [Ukraine] direction. (According to the preliminary data, one BTG from the above brigade remains on the Kharkiv direction.)

– redeployment of artillery reconnaissance units of the 7th military base (Guauta, Abkhazia) in close proximity to the border, in the Novoazovsk sector.

Sunday, April 12, 2015  19:29 PDT

Retired Russian Officer Tried On Charges Of Spying For Ukraine

 (RFE/RL's Russian Service) --- A retired Russian naval officer in St. Petersburg is on trial on charges of spying for Ukraine.

   The St. Petersburg city prosecutor’s office said on April 13 that retired Captain Vladislav Nikolsky, 69, is accused of giving unidentified Ukrainians access to material relating to Russian military vessels -- some of it classified.

   Investigators said he did so by posting documents online and giving the Ukrainians login IDs and passwords needed to gain access.

   They said some of the material posted by Nikolsky while he was employed by the Scientific Research Institute of Ship and Weaponry Production of Russia's Armed Forces and Fleet in 2011 was classified.

   Nikolsky if convicted faces up to 20 years in jail.